Optimus can be disabled in the BIOS?

I asked in the gaming forum if there were people who've been okay with Optimus, and it sounds like most people had problems, but not too many problems.

BUT someone mentioned that you can disable Optimus on the M17x-R4 (but not the M14x) in the BIOS? Is that true? If it is I think I'm just going to buy one and be done with notebook search 2012 lol

 

Get a 120hz model - no optimus

Seriously, you could just disable the intel video in device manager? There is an option to set the boot video device rather than auto-detect in the BIOS but I don't know if it disables the iGPU

 

Why would you disable optimus? For me it always worked great.

 

It works a lot better than it used to, minus 1 or 2 poorly coded games, there isn't a problem white-listing won't fix. I would just leave it running.

 

Short answer, yes you can. You would need the unlocked BIOS for the R4 and realize that this is only if you ABSOLUTELY NEED TO DO IT! With the unlocked BIOS you can force the system to use the Nvidia card only.

 

When I was on Windows 7 (I'm on Windows 8 now) I just hit the FN+F7 (I/D GFX) hotkey and restarted. Once I had restarted and booted back in to Windows, the Intel card was effectively disabled (did not appear in device manager, was no control panel etc.) and the system was ONLY using the Nvidia card.

I had to do this because I was having problems with some games not auto switching. This remains in place after reboots, until you enable Optimus again via the same hotkey.

I don't understand why people are talking BIOS and unlocked BIOS options etc. It's not necessary.

 

didn't realize you could do that with the r4. On my r3 with a nvidia card you have to disable it through the bios as the FN+F7 doesn't do anything.

 

I agree, all you need to do is to properly white-list the games you want to run with the nVidia GPU and you're set

 

Sorry for hijacking the thread, but could you disable Enduro in the same way on the R4 just in case Enduro problems pop up? I mean with the Fn+F7 method

 

Yes you can and thats what i do. these machines boot so fast I think its the best option. Optimus is much better then enduro however.

 

If your plugged in, I'd advise just turning enduro off as it is still being optimized and still has a lot of issues. If you need the Intel graphics for battery life, a quick reboot and your set to go.

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S2 running Resurrection Remix

 

Huh...so it's not an option in the BIOS (you need some special hacked BIOS it sounds like), BUT you can switch GPUs by...sounds like you hold down function + F7 while you're booting, to select? I'm understanding that right?

If so that sounds great. Might even make the Radeon 7970 an option for me. I prefer Nvidia's drivers and whatnot, but if I can disable Enduro like that and save $350 I'll at least think about it!

Am I understanding this now? And anyone know if the M14x can switch over to the real GPU exclusively? I thought I'd read that the M17x can, but the M14x can't, but then I didn't realize the option wasn't in the (regular) BIOS, nor anything about that key combo!

I'd still much rather Intel's 200 million + transistors were spent on more cache or cores, but if it's a user toggle I wouldn't mind having access to the Intel video in case I ever actually use it on battery.

 

To manually switch graphics in a M17x with AMD GPU you need to press Fn+F7 while in Windows, then reboot.

About the nvidia, if you configure a M17x with a nvidia card but not a 3d screen you'll have optimus. If you get a 120hz screen the iGPU will be permanently disabled as it won't support more than 60hz.

So basically from that point of view an M14x would behave the same as a non-3D nvidia GPU M17x.

 

Okay, so you press (and hold?) Fn+F7, reboot, and it comes back with the other GPU disabled (running exclusivly on one or the other?). That sounds just fine, but that only applies to the Radeon 7970, not the Geforce 680? Seems like just having a BIOS toggle would be easiest.

Hmm...I always go Nvidia, but if you can run off the Radeon 7970 exclusively but not the Geforce 680, I may just go for the Radeon. Saves some money anyway, and while I don't trust AMD's drivers as much, at least the performance looks pretty darned close.

 

Each to their own. There are forum members that swear by both cards, so I don't think you can go wrong either way.

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S2 running Resurrection Remix

 

No. It applies to both UNLESS you have the 120Hz screen as the IGPU can only support 60Hz so is disabled anyway.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Thanks! I really appreciate it (and everyone's info)!

So with that info I finally made up my mind, went to order, and found out my 10% Discover discount is over, back down to 5%. That's "only" $117, but has cooled me off for a brief while, may wait a few days, hope some kind of better discount comes along. The M17x-R4 really sounds ideal for me though so I should probably just go for it.

 

Finally got my M17x-R4 in, and unfortunately with Windows 8, the FN + F7 command isn't disabling Optimus...although I don't have Dell's alienfx or whatever software installed, maybe it needs that?

 

You'll need to install OSD (On Screen Display) software.

 

Thanks! I can confirm you CAN turn off Optimus on the M17x-R4. I guess it's the on screen display that needs to be installed, not the command center? I installed both, and sure enough, the FN+F7 combo immedietly prompts you to reboot. It came up, the display was at defaults, Intel's junk is gone, a few seconds later the Geforce GTX 680 adjusted the display and here we are!

In theory if I'm not playing games I like the idea of running off the Intel junk just to keep the Geforce cooler...only it seems like it runs at the upper 50s regardless of whether or not I'm running on the Intel or the Geforce...seems like this GTX 680 idles at a really high clock speed even if it's not being used, like I haven't seen it drop below 575MHz according to GPUz, nor below 58, 59c, regardless of whether it's being used or not.

I thought it got shut down completely? Like that was the whole point of Optimus? If it's spun up that fast and stays that hot seems pointless not to use it.

And as ridiculous as it sounds, it really does play video better than the Intel...looks better subjectively, better controls over it, and less "catching up" when I pause for a while.

Anyway, with the ability to disable Optimus, a Creativelabs sound chip, etc....this is really seeming like THE system to buy. I didn't even pay much more than an MSI with a much worse GTX 675m.

I couldn't resist...launched Crysis at 1080p, anti aliasing off, everything else to max (very high), and in the brief time I played never saw it dip below 38fps, usually in the upper 40s or 50s. Honestly the graphics don't justify how much power it's using, but I had to see lol (That's with Optimus on too)

 

Have you checked power management in the driver is set to adaptive? I only have the 675 but it always drops to 75Mhz in windows....

 

Okay, I've had Optimus off for a while testing things out so I held off on checking this until I could switch Intel back on.

Sooooo it turns out I don't have a power setting in my Nvidia control panel that I can see anywhere (this is with the newest drivers).

(I should note I'm using GPU-Z to determine what's going on.)

When I first booted with Intel's video back on, my GTX 680 was running at it's full official clock speed, about 720MHz, and the RAM was at 900MHz. At some point though, the GPU fell to 135MHz, the memory to 162MHz.

Obviously that sounds MUCH more more reasonable, similar to the 75MHz you're seeing on a Fermi 675, and similar to what I think I saw on my Fermi too...

Soooo I guess my questions about that now are is the GPU supposed to be off entirely when Optimus is on? I sort of thought it was supposed to be completely powered down. This is underclocked to less than 1/5th speed, but still running.

And why don't I have power options on my Nvidia control panel?

Hmm...just for the fun of it I'm going to launch Crysis again on my Intel video LOL

 

From what I read the card still draws power when on the intel, confirmed by others by the temps.

Here is the power management (hidden away):
Under manage 3D settings...

 

Darn, the attachment doesn't work for me. I THINK I see what you're talking about now though. Has Adaptive, Driver Controlled, and Max Performance.

And thanks for letting me know it stays on even when not in use! Somehow I thought it was actually supposed to shut off completely.

Oh well, I'm playing Persona 3 Portable at the moment, so it'll be a while before I need my GPU, so I'll just leave it on Intel.

 

The link broke for some reason. It worked when I first posted! Fixed now.

Yes that is the correct option. Have fun!